Apparatus for making electrodes.



' No. 676,333. Patented lune n, mol.

e. J. MILLER. APPARATUS FOR MAKING ELEGTBODES.

(Application led Feb. 5, 1900,)

A` tains to make and use the same.

section on line II II, Fig. I.

UNITED STATES` PATENT OEEICE.

GEORGE J. MILLER, OF KENTON, OHIO.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING ELECTRODES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lett-ers Patent No. 676,333, dated. June 11, 1901.

Application iiled February 5, 1900. Serial No. 4,090. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may con/cern,.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE J. MILLER, a resident of Kenton, in the county of Hardin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines or Apparatus for Making Electrodes for Usein Storage or other Batteries; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eX- act description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it per- This invention relates to machines or apparatus for making electrodes for use in storage or other batteries.

Y The primary object of this invention is to provide a machine for making an electrode of the character indicated that is exceedingly durable and inexpensive in construction, that has a large surface exposed to the active material of a battery of which the electrode is to form a part, that has each side thereof provided with numerous grooves, channels, or recesses alternating with the grooves, channels, or` recessesformed in the plates opposite side, and has vthe Walls between adjacent grooves or recesses 'upon each side of the plate enlarged laterally of the plate by material displaced from the' opposite side of the plate.

With this object in View my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is an elevation, mostlyin vertical section, of the machine that constitutes the subject-matter 'of this application. Fig. II is a top plan in Fig. III is a side elevation, in vertical section, online III III, Fig. I, except that in Fig'. III the cooperating plunger-slides are shown as having operated upon a blank introduced between them. Fig. IV is a side elevation of a blank adapted to be operated upon by the machine illustrated in the preceding figures. Fig. V is a lower end elevation of the blank. Fig. VI is a side elevation of an electrode produced by my improved machine. Fig. VII is a longitudinal section on any one4 of lines VII VII, Fig. VI. Fig. VIII is a transverse section yon line VIII VIII, Figs. VI andVlI. Fig. IX is an enlarged sectional view more clearly showing l the cooperation of the plungers of one of the plungerheads with the alternating plungers of the other plunger-head.

My improved machine comprises two cooperating plunger-bearing heads or slides 10 and l1, movable simultaneously toward or from each other and arranged as required to render them capable ot' operating simultaneously upon opposite sides, respectively, of a blank-forming plate introduced between them.

A blank-forming plate 12 is shown in Figs. IV and V, wherein it will be observed that the blank consists of a quadrangular plate composed, preferably, of lead, because lead is non-corrosive and constitutes a good support for the active material in a battery of which the said electrode forms a part. An electrode-forming plate, into which the said blank is to be converted,'is illustrated in Figs. i

VI, VII, and VIII, and is provided upon each side with a plurality ofupright rows of horizontally-arranged channels, grooves, or recesses 13, that extend transversely of the plate. Each side of the electrode-forming plate illustrated is provided with two upright rows of grooves or recesses 13, and the grooves of each row of grooves or recesses are arranged close together, so that the partitions 14, formed between adjacent grooves or recesses of each row of grooves or recesses, are not too thick. The main or central core, partition, or body portion l5 of the plate is cornpressed to toughen it; but the partitions or walls 14 between adjacent grooves or recesses of the several rows of grooves or recesses are preferably left untoughened and are consequently composed of material that is less dense than the material composing the core or body portion of the plate. The plate illustrated has the grooves or recesses of each row of grooves or recesses upon each side of the plate alternating with the grooves or recesses of a row of grooves or recesses in the plates opposite side. Theelectrodeforming plate has also a margin 17 extending along the edges of the plate and surrounding`the grooved or recessed portion of the plate.

, The two coperatin g plunger slides or heads 10 and 1l are arranged the one above the other in the same vertical plane at the top and bottom, respectively, of the path of the IOO therefore, and supported from the upper por-4 tion and lower portion, respectively, of the stationary frameworkof the machine. Each shaft 23 is operatively provided at one and the saine side of the machine with a bevelgear 24, that corresponds with the bevel-gear 24E upon the other shaft. The two gears 2t and 24 mesh with different bevel-gears 25 and 25, respectively. The gears 25 and 25 correspond diametrically and are oppositely arranged and operatively mounted upon an upright shaft 26, that is driven in any approved manner. It will be observed that the throw of the eccentrics of both of the shafts 23 is the same, and that the said shafts are driven at the same speed, but in opposite directions, respectively, and that the two plunger-heads substantially correspond in construction, as will hereinafter more fully appear, and have the same relative arrangement to the works path or spacein which the blank is operated upon. Obviously, therefore, a blank-forming plate introduced between the inner and plunger-bearing ends of the heads 10 and ll when the latter are separated has opposite sides thereof uniformly and simultaneously operated upon when the ysaid heads are moved inwardly or ltoward each other into their extreme inner position, as shown in Fig. III. The upper or plungerbearing end or face of the lower headll is shown in Fig. Il, and the plunger-bearing face or end of the upper head l0 is arranged opposite to the said end of the lower head 1l.

Each plunger-head has as many rows of plungers 27 arranged transversely of the headA as there are rows of grooves or recesses to be formed in each side of the blank, and the relative arrangement of the plun gers of each rowof plun gers and the relative arrangement of the rows of plungers of each plunger-head are as required to render them capable of forming during one operation all of the grooves or recesses required to be formed in a side of the blank. Each plunger-head in the machine illustrated is provided,therefore, with two rows of plungers 27. The two rows of plungers are parallel. The plungers of each row of plungers of each plunger-head alternate with the plungers of a row of plungersl of the other plunger-head. Adjacent plnngers of each row of plungers are separated the distance required to render them capable of forming the desired thickness of wall or partition 14 between adjacent grooves or recesses 13, adapted to be formed in the blank by the said plungers, and the depth of the space 29 between adjacent plungers of lerases each row of plungers, as shown more clearly in Fig. IX, is great enough to accommodate the displacement of material of the blank laterally between the said plungers duringthe latters operation upon the blank. The blank is introduced between the cooperating plunger-heads in any approved manner, and preferably by a blank-feeding plate or slide 30, with which the machine is provided. The slide 30 rests upon two tables 3l and 4l, with which the machines stationary framework is provided. The tablesv3l and al are arranged at opposite ends, respectively, of the space in which the blank is operated upon. The slide 30 is provided with an aperture 32,

V`adapted to receive the blank. The slide 30 is operated by hand or in any other approved manner. In Figs. I and II the blank-feeding slide is empty and shown in position, with its aperture 32 between the plunger-heads. Fig. III shows a blank being operated upon. In dotted lines, Fig. III, the slide 30 is shown in position, with its aperture arranged to discharge at the outer end portion of the table 3l. Obviously the slide 30 in its inner position, as shown in Figs. Iand II, has, itswaperture 32 in perfect registry with the/paths of the plunger-heads.

The stationary framework is provided with two flanges 35 and 35, arranged and extending between the inner ends of the tables 3l and 4l below opposite sides, respectively, of the blanks path and havingtheir upper surfaces flush with the upper surface of the said tables. The blank is fed from the table 31 to and upon the said seat-forming flanges 35, upon which it rests during its conversion into anelectrodeforming plate. The aperture 32 of the blankfeeding slide of course extends vertically IOO through the slide and has the dimensions required to render it capablerof nicely, but easily, receiving a blank, and of course the outline of the said aperture corresponds with the outline of the blank-forming plate.

The stationary framework of the machine is provided with a stop-forming lug or member 36, (see Figs. II and 'III,) arranged as required to render it capable of being engaged by the rear end of the slide 30 when the latter is in position, lwith its aperture 32 in registry with the path of the plungerheads. The slide 30 has its forward end provided with a handle 37.

The arrangement and dimensions of the` flanges 35 relative to the path of the work are such that only those portions of the blank that form the side edges and contiguous margin of the electrode shall rest upon the said ianges during the operation upon the blank by the groove-forming and' material-compressing plungers.

It will be observed that by the machine hereinbefore described the blank is confined edgewise by the walls of the blank-engaged aperture of the blank-feeder during the operation upon the blank by the plunger-heads, and the material that requires displacement IIO for the formation of the grooves or recesses in each side of the blank is pressed or forced inwardly, so as not only to form a core or body portion that is more dense than the walls or partitions between adjacent grooves or recesses of each row of grooves or recesses, but so as to displace material into partitions formed Lbetween adjacent grooves or recesses in the opposite side of une blank, and thereby enlarge the aciive-material-holding surfaces of the resulting electrode that is remarkable y for its strength, for its large capacity to hold active material, and for its comparative lightness.

Fig. IX clearly discloses how a pair of plungers at one side of the path of the blank cooperate with the plunger that is arranged at the opposite side of the said path and between the plungers of the said pair of plungers. The pair of plungers at one side prevent the material displaced between them by the plunger at the other side from spreading edgewise of the plate and compel the said material to pass outwardly between the plun gers of the said pair of plungers. I Would remark also that the supporting-framework of the machine next above the blank; receiving space between the plunger-slides is provided with lugs or members 40, that overlap the upper side of the margin-forming portion of the blank-forming plate. The saidmembers 4() and the flanges 35 positively release from the plungers anfelectrodeforming plate that has a tendency to adhere to the plungers when the plunger-slides are moved apart after the plungers operation. What I claim is A machine ofthe character indicated, comprising a row of plun gers arranged at one side of the blank-receiving space, a row of plungers arranged at the opposite side of the said space and alternating with the first-mentioned plungers, and mechanism for simultaneously operating the said plungers, and the arrangement of parts being such that each plunger shall enter the opposing side of the blank during the operation of the piungers and displace material in the direction of and beyond the opposite side of the blank, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

Signed by me at Cleveland, Ohio, this 18th day of October, 1899.

GEORGE J. MILLER.

Witnesses:

C. H. Donna, A. H. PARRATT. 

